There is often a need to connect and disconnect electrical components in subsea or other underwater environments and a wet-mateable electrical connector can be used for this purpose.
One example of a wet-mateable electrical connector is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,500,859 B2 and, like many other wet-mateable electrical connectors, it utilises an electrically insulating liquid such as oil and a sealing arrangement between male and female connector elements. Although the wet-mateable electrical connector can be used in any orientation, the need for an electrically insulating liquid and sealing arrangement renders the construction of this and similar wet-mateable electrical connectors relatively complex. Furthermore, close tolerances are needed between the male and female connector elements and the mating operation between those connector elements can be compromised if there is fouling due to a build up of sessile animals, such as barnacles, on the mating surfaces.
An alternative approach is to retrieve electrical components from subsea or other underwater environments and to use a dry-mateable electrical connector to connect and disconnect the electrical components in a dry environment. This alternative approach is, however, often practically and economically undesirable.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved wet-mateable electrical connector which has a less complex construction than existing liquid-sealed wet-mateable electrical connectors and which provides reliable connection and disconnection, especially in harsh subsea environments.